Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Protests from governors have done little to stop flow of Syrian refugees; interactive map available

Protests from 30 governors not wanting to admit Syrian refugees have had little impact on the placement of Syrians in the U.S., Tim Henderson reports for Stateline. More than 11,000 Syrian refugees have entered the U.S. since October, many locating in states that didn't want them, and often in rural areas.

Most, but not all, states have given up fighting to keep Syrians refugees out, Henderson writes. "Indiana and Texas are appealing federal judicial rulings in an effort to block refugees from their states until they have been screened to ensure they don’t have ties to terrorist groups. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a Republican, is appealing a federal court’s recent dismissal of a suit he brought charging that the federal government hasn’t consulted with states before placing refugees, as required by the federal Refugee Act of 1980."

Tennessee has an active lawsuit, not supported by the governor or state attorney general, arguing that the state "will have to pay as much as $100 million a year on refugees from Syria and elsewhere because the state is required to provide them with health care and language help in schools. But so far, courts have rejected the states’ legal arguments. And governors have not threatened to remove refugees who are already on the ground in their states," Henderson writes. (Stateline map: Syrian refugees in the U.S. For an interactive version click here)

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